Isorno
Encyclopedia
Isorno is a municipality
in the district of Locarno
in the canton
of Ticino
in Switzerland
.
The municipality was created in 2001 by a merger of Auressio
, Berzona
and Loco
.
than to the rest of the Onsernone valley. The construction of the road through the valley in the 19th Century brought it closer to the rest of the valley.
The church of S. Antonio Abate was finished in 1526 and became the center of an independent parish
in 1792 after it separated from Loco.
After World War II farming and grazing were almost abandoned and replaced by short-term, seasonal emigration. The improved transport links to the nearby town of Locarno
increased Auressio's attractiveness as a place to live for those that were employed in Locarno. This led to a clear population increase in recent years.
One notable building in Auressio is the Villa Edera, which was built in 1887, for the Paris
impresario
Paolo Antonio Calzonio. It was restored in the early 1990s by the municipality and is now used as a hostel.
it was part of the Squadra of Onsernone.
The church of S. Defendente was built in 1564 and became a parish church
when it separated from Loco in 1777. The section of Seghelina has the chapels of Santa Maria (1682) and S. Maria Lauretana (1766). The political municipality was created at the same time as the Canton of Ticino in 1803.
After World War II, much of the village population emigrated and sold their properties to outsiders. Many people who bought houses in Berzona were well known personalities from the arts and culture, such as Alfred Andersch
, Golo Mann
and Max Frisch
. Today, the village is shrinking as few jobs in farming and grazing remain and most of the working population have moved to Locarno.
of Niva and Rossa.
From the Middle Ages
until the end of the Ancien Régime
Loco was the capital of the old Onsernone valley community.
The parish church
of San Remigio was the mother church of the valley and ancient seat of the Vicariate of Onsernone valley. It is first mentioned in 1228 (in the municipal archives), but is probably older. In the early 16th Century it was rebuilt and acquired its current steeple. It houses the Holy Cross chapel with an ancient, venerated cross relic. The church is also the home of a Last Supper painting by the flemish
painter Godefridus Maes from 1683. In the hamlet of Niva, there is a late baroque
chapel of St. John Nepomuk. The chapel in Sassello is from the late 17th Century and is dedicated to the Madonna of Re.
In the 19th Century, Loco was a center of the straw braiding for hats, bags and other articles. The straw braids that were used for this purpose were produced in the other villages of the Onsernone valley.
In addition to the typical houses with balconies, a number of aristocratic mansions are located in the village. These include the Casa Broggini (built 1708) in Rossa.
The primary school for the area is located in Loco, along with the Onsernonese Museum (opened 1966) and the renovated retirement home of the Onsernone valley. Near Loco, in a restored mill, there is a permanent exhibition on the grain milling in the area. Casa Shira (built in the 19th century, now owned by the community) has a small public library and a hostel.
At the beginning of the 21st Century the majority of the workers commuted to Locarno.
The municipality is located in the Locarno district, in the Onsernone valley along the Isone river
. It consists of the villages of Auressio, Berzona and Loco.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Per fess azure and vert a bar wavy argent and overall issuant from base three ribbons or interwoven ending in pall couped in chief. The new coat of arms symbolizes the merger, each thread of the twisted cord representing a former municipality.
Most of the population speaks Italian
(70.0%), with German
being second most common (20.9%) and French
being third (8.0%).
, the gender distribution of the population was 48.7% male and 51.3% female. The population was made up of 148 Swiss men (42.2% of the population), and 23 (6.6%) non-Swiss men. There were 163 Swiss women (46.4%), and 17 (4.8%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 4 live births to Swiss citizens and were 4 deaths of Swiss citizens. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens remained the same while the foreign population remained the same. There was 1 Swiss man who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 4 non-Swiss men and 3 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was an increase of 3 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 1 people. This represents a population growth rate of 1.2%.
The age distribution, , in Isorno is; 31 children or 8.8% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 28 teenagers or 8.0% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 31 people or 8.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 40 people or 11.4% are between 30 and 39, 51 people or 14.5% are between 40 and 49, and 70 people or 19.9% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 44 people or 12.5% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 27 people or 7.7% are between 70 and 79, there are 29 people or 8.3% who are over 80.
Of the working population, 6.3% used public transportation to get to work, and 47.2% used a private car.
, there were 2 hotels in Isorno.
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 159 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.1 persons per household. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 1.45%. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0 new units per 1000 residents.
. The entire villages of Auressio, Berzona and Loco are listed in the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
.
the most popular party was the FDP
which received 23.58% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(21.34%), the CVP
(17.46%) and the Green Party
(15.97%). In the federal election, a total of 88 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 33.6%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 267 registered voters in Isorno, of which 119 or 44.6% voted. 2 blank ballots and 1 null ballot were cast, leaving 116 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT
which received 25 or 21.6% of the vote. The next two most popular parties were; the SSI (with 24 or 20.7%) and the PPD
+GenGiova (with 16 or 13.8%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 2 blank ballots were cast, leaving 117 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PS which received 30 or 25.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the SSI (with 27 or 23.1%), the PLRT (with 23 or 19.7%) and the PPD (with 17 or 14.5%).
).
In Isorno there were a total of 46 students . The Ticino education system
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
and in Isorno there were 10 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years. In the village, 14 students attended the standard primary schools. In the lower secondary school system, students either attend a two year middle school followed by a two year pre-apprenticeship or they attend a four year program to prepare for higher education. There were 14 students in the two year middle school, while 0 students were in the four year advanced program.
The upper secondary school includes several options, but at the end of the upper secondary program, a student will be prepared to enter a trade or to continue on to a university or college. In Ticino, vocational students may either attend school while working on their internship or apprenticeship (which takes three or four years) or may attend school followed by an internship or apprenticeship (which takes one year as a full-time student or one and a half to two years as a part-time student). There were 5 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 3 who attend part-time.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
in the district of Locarno
Locarno (district)
The district of Locarno is a district of Canton Ticino, Switzerland. It has a population of .-Geography:...
in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Ticino
Ticino
Canton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
The municipality was created in 2001 by a merger of Auressio
Auressio
Auressio is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.In 2001 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities Berzona and Loco to form a new and larger municipality Isorno.-History:...
, Berzona
Berzona
Berzona is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.In 2001 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities Auressio and Loco to form a new and larger municipality Isorno.-History:...
and Loco
Loco, Switzerland
Loco is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.In 2001 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities Auressio and Berzona to form a new and larger municipality Isorno.-History:...
.
History
Auressio is first mentioned in 1233 as Oraxio. Berzona is first mentioned in 1265 as Berzona. Loco is first mentioned in 1224 as Loco and was also known as Luogo.Auressio
Until the 19th Century, the village had much closer ties to PiedmontPiedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
than to the rest of the Onsernone valley. The construction of the road through the valley in the 19th Century brought it closer to the rest of the valley.
The church of S. Antonio Abate was finished in 1526 and became the center of an independent parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
in 1792 after it separated from Loco.
After World War II farming and grazing were almost abandoned and replaced by short-term, seasonal emigration. The improved transport links to the nearby town of Locarno
Locarno
Locarno is the capital of the Locarno district, located on the northern tip of Lake Maggiore in the Swiss canton of Ticino, close to Ascona at the foot of the Alps. It has a population of about 15,000...
increased Auressio's attractiveness as a place to live for those that were employed in Locarno. This led to a clear population increase in recent years.
One notable building in Auressio is the Villa Edera, which was built in 1887, for the Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
impresario
Impresario
An impresario is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays or operas; analogous to a film producer in filmmaking, television production and an angel investor in business...
Paolo Antonio Calzonio. It was restored in the early 1990s by the municipality and is now used as a hostel.
Berzona
The village section of Seghelina is located directly on the main road, while the main village of Berzona is above the road. During the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
it was part of the Squadra of Onsernone.
The church of S. Defendente was built in 1564 and became a parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
when it separated from Loco in 1777. The section of Seghelina has the chapels of Santa Maria (1682) and S. Maria Lauretana (1766). The political municipality was created at the same time as the Canton of Ticino in 1803.
After World War II, much of the village population emigrated and sold their properties to outsiders. Many people who bought houses in Berzona were well known personalities from the arts and culture, such as Alfred Andersch
Alfred Andersch
Alfred Hellmuth Andersch was a German writer, publisher, and radio editor. The son of a conservative East Prussian army officer, he was born in Munich, Germany and died in Berzona, Ticino, Switzerland...
, Golo Mann
Golo Mann
Golo Mann , born Angelus Gottfried Thomas Mann, was a popular German historian, essayist and writer. He was the third child of the novelist Thomas Mann and his wife Katia Mann.-Life:...
and Max Frisch
Max Frisch
Max Rudolf Frisch was a Swiss playwright and novelist, regarded as highly representative of German-language literature after World War II. In his creative works Frisch paid particular attention to issues relating to problems of human identity, individuality, responsibility, morality and political...
. Today, the village is shrinking as few jobs in farming and grazing remain and most of the working population have moved to Locarno.
Loco
Loco also contained the hamletsHamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Niva and Rossa.
From the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
until the end of the Ancien Régime
Early Modern Switzerland
The early modern history of the Old Swiss Confederacy , lasting from formal independence in 1648 to the French invasion of 1798 came to be referred as Ancien Régime retrospectively, in post-Napoleonic Switzerland.The early modern period was characterized by an increasingly...
Loco was the capital of the old Onsernone valley community.
The parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of San Remigio was the mother church of the valley and ancient seat of the Vicariate of Onsernone valley. It is first mentioned in 1228 (in the municipal archives), but is probably older. In the early 16th Century it was rebuilt and acquired its current steeple. It houses the Holy Cross chapel with an ancient, venerated cross relic. The church is also the home of a Last Supper painting by the flemish
Flemish painting
Flemish painting flourished from the early 15th century until the 17th century. Flanders delivered the leading painters in Northern Europe and attracted many promising young painters from neighbouring countries. These painters were invited to work at foreign courts and had a Europe-wide influence...
painter Godefridus Maes from 1683. In the hamlet of Niva, there is a late baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
chapel of St. John Nepomuk. The chapel in Sassello is from the late 17th Century and is dedicated to the Madonna of Re.
In the 19th Century, Loco was a center of the straw braiding for hats, bags and other articles. The straw braids that were used for this purpose were produced in the other villages of the Onsernone valley.
In addition to the typical houses with balconies, a number of aristocratic mansions are located in the village. These include the Casa Broggini (built 1708) in Rossa.
The primary school for the area is located in Loco, along with the Onsernonese Museum (opened 1966) and the renovated retirement home of the Onsernone valley. Near Loco, in a restored mill, there is a permanent exhibition on the grain milling in the area. Casa Shira (built in the 19th century, now owned by the community) has a small public library and a hostel.
At the beginning of the 21st Century the majority of the workers commuted to Locarno.
Geography
Isorno has an area, , of 17.1 square kilometres (6.6 sq mi). Of this area, 8.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 73.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.9% is settled (buildings or roads) and 17.5% is unproductive land.The municipality is located in the Locarno district, in the Onsernone valley along the Isone river
Isorno (river)
The Isorno is an Italian and Swiss river, a tributary of the Melezzo Orientale.Its source is in Italy near Pioda di Crana. It passes through Bagni, a frazione of Craveggia, then entering Switzerland it flows through Onsernone, Mosogno, Isorno and Intragna, where it joins the Melezzo Orientale.Its...
. It consists of the villages of Auressio, Berzona and Loco.
Coat of arms
The blazonBlazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
of the municipal coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is Per fess azure and vert a bar wavy argent and overall issuant from base three ribbons or interwoven ending in pall couped in chief. The new coat of arms symbolizes the merger, each thread of the twisted cord representing a former municipality.
Demographics
Isorno has a population of . , 11.1% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of -6.5%.Most of the population speaks Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
(70.0%), with German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
being second most common (20.9%) and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
being third (8.0%).
, the gender distribution of the population was 48.7% male and 51.3% female. The population was made up of 148 Swiss men (42.2% of the population), and 23 (6.6%) non-Swiss men. There were 163 Swiss women (46.4%), and 17 (4.8%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 4 live births to Swiss citizens and were 4 deaths of Swiss citizens. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens remained the same while the foreign population remained the same. There was 1 Swiss man who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 4 non-Swiss men and 3 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was an increase of 3 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 1 people. This represents a population growth rate of 1.2%.
The age distribution, , in Isorno is; 31 children or 8.8% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 28 teenagers or 8.0% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 31 people or 8.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 40 people or 11.4% are between 30 and 39, 51 people or 14.5% are between 40 and 49, and 70 people or 19.9% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 44 people or 12.5% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 27 people or 7.7% are between 70 and 79, there are 29 people or 8.3% who are over 80.
Economy
, Isorno had an unemployment rate of 2.45%. , there were 14 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 7 businesses involved in this sector. 5 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 3 businesses in this sector. 58 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 13 businesses in this sector.Of the working population, 6.3% used public transportation to get to work, and 47.2% used a private car.
, there were 2 hotels in Isorno.
Housing
the average number of residents per living room was 0.52 which is less people per room than the cantonal average of 0.6 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 59.5% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgageMortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 159 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.1 persons per household. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 1.45%. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0 new units per 1000 residents.
Historic Population
The historical population is given in the following table:| Year | Population Auressio | Population Berzona | Population Loco |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1795 | 240 | 306 | 684 |
| 1808 | 273 | 286 | 689 |
| 1850 | 198 | 235 | 600 |
| 1900 | 164 | 151 | 402 |
| 1950 | 76 | 84 | 258 |
| 2000 | 71 | 48 | 254 |
Heritage sites of national significance
The Museo Onsernonese is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significanceSwiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
. The entire villages of Auressio, Berzona and Loco are listed in the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
The Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites is part of a 1981 Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council implementing the Federal Law on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage.-Sites of national importance:-Types:...
.
Politics
In the 2007 federal electionSwiss federal election, 2007
Elections to the Swiss Federal Assembly, the federal parliament of Switzerland, were held on Sunday, 21 October 2007. In a few cantons, a second round of the elections to the Council of States was held on 11 November, 18 November, and 25 November 2007...
the most popular party was the FDP
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
which received 23.58% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(21.34%), the CVP
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
(17.46%) and the Green Party
Green Party of Switzerland
The Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:...
(15.97%). In the federal election, a total of 88 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
was 33.6%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 267 registered voters in Isorno, of which 119 or 44.6% voted. 2 blank ballots and 1 null ballot were cast, leaving 116 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
which received 25 or 21.6% of the vote. The next two most popular parties were; the SSI (with 24 or 20.7%) and the PPD
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
+GenGiova (with 16 or 13.8%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 2 blank ballots were cast, leaving 117 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PS which received 30 or 25.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the SSI (with 27 or 23.1%), the PLRT (with 23 or 19.7%) and the PPD (with 17 or 14.5%).
Education
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Isorno about 64.1% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a FachhochschuleFachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
).
In Isorno there were a total of 46 students . The Ticino education system
Education in Switzerland
The education system in Switzerland is very diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the authority for the school system mainly to the cantons...
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
and in Isorno there were 10 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years. In the village, 14 students attended the standard primary schools. In the lower secondary school system, students either attend a two year middle school followed by a two year pre-apprenticeship or they attend a four year program to prepare for higher education. There were 14 students in the two year middle school, while 0 students were in the four year advanced program.
The upper secondary school includes several options, but at the end of the upper secondary program, a student will be prepared to enter a trade or to continue on to a university or college. In Ticino, vocational students may either attend school while working on their internship or apprenticeship (which takes three or four years) or may attend school followed by an internship or apprenticeship (which takes one year as a full-time student or one and a half to two years as a part-time student). There were 5 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 3 who attend part-time.